Mission: Delivery
by EmberLioness
Summary: The next chapter has begun. Now she has been selected to join a three man team composed of Naruto, Sasuke, and herself. It's bad enough that there is tension within the group, but now they have to battle outside forces too. When a notorious bandit decides to rain on their mission, Riyame's mind will be the most vulnerable.
1. 001: My Choice

"So — I have to what exactly...?" Naruto muttered, scratching his head absentmindedly. He hadn't absorbed a single word of the explanation that the Hokage had given him.

Tsunade sighed impatiently and rubbed her temples irritably. "Idiot..." She murmured under her breath, "Your mission is a simple C rank in which you have to deliver a cart of goods to the Shadow Village–"

"Why?" Naruto's interjection didn't seem to be taken well.

Tsunade glared at him as she spoke, "It's a part of our Village's alliance and relationship. You will need no other explanation... Besides, you are the one who has been whining about your lack of missions lately, and no one else I can trust this to is free."

A smirk spread across the blonde boys face as he turned her words over in his head. She trusted him. He would have that ammo to throw back at her if she ever decided to scold him for something. "Awesome! When do I start?"

"You don't even have a team of three," Her eyebrow raised incredulously at the look on his face, "Surely you didn't think you were going that distance alone?"

"Bu — fine, why don't I just go with my team then?" He crossed his arms stubbornly, irritated by his lack of triumph.

"As I said before, many of those I trust are busy. Sakura just so happens to be one of those, but Sasuke on the other hand, I was already going to send him with you." She cut Naruto off as he opened his mouth to argue, "Don't bother protesting, the two of you need to learn to work together. He should be here shortly, I've already sent someone to get him."

"Well–" Naruto looked for a reason to break her streak, "Can I — Can I at least pick the other one?" There was an edge of pout and pleading in his voice.

"Why not." She accepted, exasperation layering her tone. "I will warn you, there aren't very many other genin or chunin open, so your choices are very limited–" There was a brief knock on the door. "Come in."

A raven haired boy pushed the door open and stepped in, "You wanted me?" He asked cooly after closing the door.

"You and Naruto are being assigned to a simple C rank mission to ferry a cart of goods to the hidden Shadow Village." Sasuke's nose seemed to wrinkle when his eyes brushed over Naruto. Naruto felt a surge of hatred flow through him as he glared back. "Now Naruto, you only have three to choose from who are free. Choose wisely... Ino Yamanaka–"

"What! Not gunna happen!" He spat, the corners of his mouth turning down as he motioned a thumbs-down with his hand.

"Choji Akimichi–"

"Eh — He's better, but not by much... He might eat it all." Naruto shrugged, chuckling at his personal joke.

"-and Riyame Uchiha." She finished as though Naruto never interjected his two-cents.

A sudden smile flashed across Naruto's face. "Riyame? Huh—" If there were gears within Naruto's head, they surely would have be turning. He began to contemplate choosing Riyame.

Hmm, He thought. Riyame might be the perfect choice. She had always been keen on trying to stand up for others, so that might keep Sasuke off his back — No. He would not choose her for such selfish reasons, not after... He shook off the thoughts of week prior. That brought him to his senses. What if she got hurt? It certainly wouldn't be the first time... That thought seemed to cross Sasuke's mind because he spoke.

"No. Absolutely not..." He was glaring out the window.

"Not your decision..." Naruto grumbled irritably.

Sasuke's glare turned deadly as his gaze settled on Naruto. Naruto didn't waver under his piercing gaze and just glared back. "Fine then, hurry up and make a decision." He growled braking the eye contact.

"Riyame." He stated proudly, slightly puffing his chest out as though he were gloating. He ignored the glower that Sasuke sent his way.

"Fine, fine... I will have Shizune collect her." Tsunade stood and walked around the desk, "Momentarily, I will be right back."

There were a few moments of awkward silence following the closing of the door. Neither of them wanted to be the one to break the silence, nor did they want to look at each other. There was something gnawing Sasuke inside. He didn't know what it was, but a slight protective lurch made him want to back hand Naruto. He would have rather dealt with the annoying blonde or the gluttonous fat boy. There was something about Riyame's joining of the team that irritated him. Not that he would ever admit it...

In the end, it was Sasuke that broke the silence. His eyes bored into the side of Naruto's head, trying to understand his reasoning behind his choice. She wasn't exactly strong or fast. He didn't know what jutsu she could use, and there wasn't much that she could do to benefit the team. The only thing she'd seemed to have proven that she was any good at was hiding and getting hurt. She might be more tolerable than the other two, but she was just more dead weight that Sasuke would have to carry were something to go wrong. Which, since it seemed as though Riyame invited injury, there was sure to be some. Sasuke unfortunately could not shake the thoughts so a question slipped between his lips before he could stop it.

"What were you thinking?" He sneered. It wasn't meant to be said aloud, but it had already escaped.

"Sorry, what was that?" Naruto grumbled. He acted as though he hadn't heard him, which he knew had to have irritated the boy with raven hair.

"What exactly made you choose her?" It was more of a demand than a question but Naruto knew what he meant.

"Because it was my choice. It's only a C rank, why are you worried?" The blonde haired boy's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"No reason." Sasuke grumbled.

"Yeah." Naruto muttered curtly. Awkward silence consumed the room again as they waited for Tsunade to return.

Riyame's POV

Light conversation bounced around me as Kakashi-sensei and I ordered lunch. We were sitting at Ichiraku's Ramen shop. I wouldn't have normally been here if Kakashi hadn't offered to take me to lunch.

"You should've heard Naruto come through here bragging this morning. Talking about how he was finally getting some action. Says Tsunade's finally going to send him on some important mission." Mr. Ichiraku laughed. I could feel the soft smile graze my lips as I pictured Naruto saying this. It was so much like that knuckle head...

Kakashi chuckled lightly, "That sounds like Naruto alright. Leave it to him to beef it up. It's probably only a simple C rank."

"Probably," Mr. Ichiraku agreed.

I sighed softly, Mr. Ichiraku didn't seem to notice, but I caught Kakashi's eye dart to my face. I didn't notice it that much any more. Or well, it had stopped bothering me at least... It happened every time I was near any of Team 7, with the exception of Sasuke, Kagame or even Lady Tsunade. I knew what it was. After what happened last week, I'm sure they wanted to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind. Or at least that I wasn't slipping back into another depression... I thought this overly cautious and somewhat annoying, but I tolerated it because it was nice having someone there to care about me after so long of being alone.

I gave Kakashi-sensei a reassuring smile before turning away from him. Behind me, I sensed a familiar presence advancing our way. My eyes unconsciously flickered backward to see the thin, dark haired assistant of Lady Tsunade's, Lady Shizune, rounding the corner. Kakashi copied me, just in time to see her walking our way. His dark eye turned on me, a slightly curious glaze over them.

I wonder if what I did seemed strange to him. I was so used to that extra sense, that my mind never registered whether or not others would find my actions odd. His eyes, though his gaze was curious, bore into the side of my head and forced my cheeks to heat lightly. My stomach flipped as Lady Shizune stopped in front of me as I turned around in my seat.

"Riyame." Her sweet voice voice wrapped around my name as she smiled at me. "Lady Tsunade would like to see you." Even I felt my eyebrows raise in confusion and disbelief. Why...? Was she that worried that I wasn't mentally stable? Had she been told about the occasionally reoccurring nightmares?

"Alright..." I muttered. "May I ask why?"

She smiled softly, "She didn't release much information to me. I was just told to retrieve you." Her hands were folded in front of her as she stood patiently.

I glanced at Kakashi-sensei, slightly abashed. He'd offered to take me out, and then someone came to take me away. He motioned for me to go on, a softness on his features. My teeth gnawed on my bottom lip as I gave him an apologetic look.

Miss Shizune steered me to the hokage's building—a large, orange-brown building that stood tall in the head of the village. She led me through the front doors to see Lady Tsunade, intimidating and strong, herself. Her face was stern, her eyes faintly irritated. It must've been Naruto. He is the only one that I've ever met that can leave this sort of lasting effect on her.

"Ah, Riyame..." She greeted smoothly, "Thank you, Shizune." Miss Shizune nodded happily and walked away, almost bouncily...what? Then, Tsunade turned to me. She explained to me briefly why I was here, apologizing for pulling me out of any prior plans.

My jaw dropped slightly. They had chosen me as the third person in a three man squad!? A three man squad with Naruto and my...brother...

"Th-they chose—" I swallowed the slight lump forming in my throat, "me?"

Lady Tsunade nodded quickly, "That's right. Do you want to decline the mission? There are others available."

I froze, glued to my spot. I didn't know how to answer that... Part of me wanted to go to prove that I could. Another part of me wanted to decline and live to see another day—though, not that I'd exactly die of anything but embarrassment. But, was I strong enough? Maybe Kakashi-sensei was right. Maybe it was just a simple C ranked mission. But what if it wasn't...something in this mission intimidated me. Maybe it was the fact that I was going to have to go with Naruto and my older brother. The same older brother that I had only been around for the week prior to this. It was also much different when I had Sakura or Kakashi-sensei there to help cover for me, but I didn't. It would just be me, Naruto and Sasuke.

"I—" I bit down on my lip for a moment before answering, "I don't know..."

Lady Tsunade sighed, "Riyame, you are an excellent shinobi." I looked up at her, "Stop downing yourself. You're only going to hold yourself back. I see great potential in you; don't let anyone tell you any differently. Not your teammates, not your brothers, not anyone... Understood?"

I nodded. Does "anyone" count as myself too? I didn't ask the question out loud. I knew what her response would be. So, she lead me to her office in silence. Up a few flights of stairs and through the doors, there stood Naruto and the raven haired boy. My could feel every muscle in my back stiffen as I stopped between them.

"Alright. I trust that all of you knows what this mission entails. The cart of goods will be waiting for you at the gate." Lady Hokage instructed, "I want you all back here in no later than three days time. Am I understood?"

"Right." All three of us said it in unison.

"Right, then. This mission could get worse. If something happens to you or the goods, I have Shikamaru placed on standby. Call for him." She ordered. Each of us nodded and left, "Good luck!" She called after us.

I walked home and packed my messenger bag with the bare necessities before walking out my door and in the direction of the north gates. I walked briskly, trying to squelch the nervousness that built in my stomach every time I was forced to face Sasuke.

I bit my lip as I arrived. Sasuke was already there. His regular cool demeanor wasn't marred by my arrival, only intensified as he brushed it off. I glanced around before deciding that near the cart was probably the safest place to stand. I didn't bother trying to make conversation either. Sasuke didn't bother even sparing a glance at me. He actually avoided looking at me completely. The atmosphere was very tense. I didn't know if it was just because we were still uncomfortable around each other or because neither of us thought I should be here, but it played with the nerves that made my stomach churn.

After a few more minutes of tense, awkward silence, I could sense Naruto's arrival. He bounced over to us, almost a little too filled with glee at the prospect of departing on a mission. He even volunteered to carry the cart. It wasn't very light, but he seemed to have a handle on it. It wasn't too much for me to carry, but when I offered, he told me that it was fine and that he had it. Who was I to argue...so, we started out.

I walked beside Naruto down the familiar road of the village. Sasuke walked a few meters in front of us. It was clear that he had taken on the role of the leader. I didn't combat this because it was for the best. Naruto wasn't exactly the leader type, nor was I for that matter. I would never be able to lead a team.

After a few moments of awkwardly silent walking, Naruto must have stopped paying attention to his feet and the ground. His foot caught a protruding rock, dropping the cart, and falling forward. I was just fast enough to grip him under his arms and prevent him from falling, but I had no such luck with the cart.

All of it happened very fast. Naruto tripped, dropped the cart, and fell forward. I was supporting most of his weight, and I was too preoccupied with the panic that began to fester as I looked up at the falling cart. In nearly a flash, Sasuke had managed to catch it. A sigh of relief radiated through me, but as I looked down at Naruto, my cheeks burned. I was still holding his weight and his face was inches from my chest. His face was a deep crimson, probably the same shade as mine.

My stomach fluttered uncomfortably. For a second, I completely contemplated dropping him, but that would have been rude. So I froze, my muscles locking in shock. I could feel a pair of familiar eyes on me, so I glanced up. Horrible idea... Sasuke's glare was aimed directly at me. I had never been so intimidated by him before. This degree of intimidation was usually reserved for my eldest brother, but Sasuke had earned it at this very moment.

Naruto seemed to flush even deeper and jumped back, "S-Sorry!"

"You idiot!" Sasuke barked, making me jump, "You almost ruined everything." Even I cringed at his words. Was this what Sasuke had truly become? How could he be so harsh and unforgiving? Did our brother's actions really change him that drastically?

Naruto returned Sasuke's glare fearlessly, "You wouldn't say that if it was Riyame or Sakura!" Naruto shouted. Those words sent a pang of guilt into my heart and stomach.

"I wouldn't have to." He barked, "At least they would have the sense to watch their feet." This made me feel even worse.

"I tripped!" Naruto snapped, "Even you, the great Sasuke, trip sometimes. It could happen to anyone!"

"Everyone else isn't completely incapable of pulling a cart of goods." Sasuke growled. Now his words were beginning to cross lines...

"Sasuke..." I tried to soothe the situation as best as I could, but his dirty look made me advert my eyes and gnaw on my lip.

Sasuke sighed, "Pull the cart and pull it right this time, dunce."

Naruto grumbled to himself and mocked him rudely as he retook the cart and Sasuke walked on. I felt sick as I replayed his cold glares in my head again. Why was it such a shock every time I realized just how much Itachi had taken his toll? I kept up their pace as I walked, allowing my mind to detach. If Sasuke even spared a look at me, I didn't know. Naruto had a few times, but who was counting...

And again, we walked in silence. The air was filled to the brim with tension and awkwardness so dense that you could carve it with a knife. That awkward silence bordered on eerie, and we walked this way for almost half-an-hour.


	2. 002: Caution

As I glanced around, a nervous feeling began to build in my stomach. The forest was much too silent. Not even the sounds of the animals rang through the air, only the sounds of the cart's wheels and our soft, nearly silent footsteps. My senses weren't so dull that I couldn't sense animals, they were just so small that they were easy to ignore. There weren't even any animals within a twenty meter radius. Only...a person. No, multiple people? Every single one of them sent a shaky unease to my stomach that turned my legs to jelly.

"Sasuke...Naruto..." I whispered, forcing the jittery nervousness from my voice. I knew that the boys must have barely heard me, so whoever was waiting in the bushes for us mustn't have heard. Both of them glanced at me, but we kept moving. "We're being pursued." I warned, my voice quivering by the end.

I could see Naruto stiffen with caution, "Don't look for them." Sasuke ordered in a low voice. It wasn't as if I was in the first place, but it was a good precaution to take. He must have believed me... "Act like they aren't there." Naruto and I nodded once.

"You think they're here to have a tea part?" Naruto asked sarcastically.

"No." Sasuke and I said it in unison. He nodded and we kept moving in silence. We continued walking for another ten minutes; every minute growing more tense as they ticked by. Our pursuers still stalked us, assuming they were undetected I bet.

They moved about the same pace that we were, not stopping. Only following, stalking us and hiding in the trees. After that ten minutes, they seemed to speed up. For a few seconds, I thought they were going to leave, but that nagging feeling of foreboding told me otherwise. That feeling was proved correct when ten or so rugged and scarred bandits landed in front of us. Each of them wore dirty, torn clothing; all of them bare chested and shirtless. Most of them wore hoods that covered their faces, but the man that was clearly the leader stood near the front.

Covered in scars, tall, and very muscular, his body was adorned with a long winding tattoo of a dragon on his right arm. Shirtless, torn black pants and rugged bandages hung off his body. His matted hair was messy and black, and his face was unsightly and mean.

"We're gunna need that cart, kiddies." The leader's voice was deep and husky, "So here's what were gunna do... We'll let you go free if you just hand it over. Then you can go skipping back to the little village where you belong."

"In your dreams tall, dark and gruesome." Naruto laughed.

"You're a cocky brat," The leader spat, "Just give 'em to us and we won't have to hurt you. Then we can all go home-"

Sasuke was the one who spoke because, to be honest, I was somewhat terrified. "You're idiots if you think you'll intimidate ninja from the Hidden Leaf Village."

"Yeah, a little conflict never stops us." Naruto chimed boldly. I didn't speak. My lips were sealed tight because, unlike the boys, I was intimidated. They actually scared me.

When the leader locked eyes with me, I thought I was going to keel over in terror, "You seem like a sensible girl. Why don't you talk some sense into your little friends."

I did my best to hide any and all terror in my voice. I could feel Naruto and Sasuke's expectant eyes on me, "I won't abandon a mission." It came out about as firm as I could manage.

"Oh...so the Leaf Village has you brainwashed with that ridiculous sense of responsibility too..." He grumbled as his men began to surround us, "Fine then, have it your way. We'll just take it from you."

I could hear the challenge in Naruto's voice, "Bring it."

When the men rushed us, I was totally taken off guard. They focused on the boys and ignored me. As much as this confused me, I was grateful. Both of them were handling themselves handsomely. Naruto created shadow clones to assist him, and Sasuke was doing just fine on his own. I was just the only one by the cart any longer, so I made it my job to protect it. If you call cowering by it protecting it. I never much liked what fear or adrenaline did to me. The way it made my pulse pound or my stomach churn.

That creeping nervousness returned when I didn't see the leader. I was seconds too late by the time I found his presence amongst all of the fighting. Before I could react, my arms were twisted behind my back and a katana blade was pressed to my neck, the blade pressed into my skin. I let out a shock filled whimper, forcing the boys' attention to me. He pulled away long enough for his blade to slice me clean in half, "One down..."

"Riyame!" Naruto shouted, anger on his face. Sasuke only smirked as two large pieces of log clunked to the ground. I was breathing heavily behind a tree a few meters to his right sporting a fresh gash on my upper arm. I was almost too late; his blade was unbelievably sharp. Naruto's look of approval was barely visible through the tree line as he and Sasuke continued fighting the rogues.

I could hear the irritation in the leader's voice, "Stupid girl. That was a cheap trick. Is that all you can do?" He coaxed. I could sense him, but not very much in depth. My thoughts were swirling out of control as I tried to think of a course of action. I didn't have time to think of anything before flames bellowed around me.

I barely rolled out of the tree line in a panic before it hit me. As my arms pushed me up, a large foot collided with my stomach, knocking the breath from my lungs. I gasped in shock as pain jabbed into me and I fell onto my stomach. I glanced up and froze when I saw his katana raised to strike. To kill.

As I laid there, I could hear Naruto helplessly call my name. I was dead and I knew it, so I closed my eyes and waited for the pain to come. But it never did...

I could feel my brother's presence close to me. I peeked up. He was crouched over me and had stopped the blade with only two kunai. Sasuke kicked him back, "Why don't you and I have a go... Preying on the weak is a waste of time." He coaxed.

The leader considered him for a moment, seemingly satisfied. So Sasuke stood. I followed his lead when he motioned for me to stop, glancing back at me, "Get the cart and get it out of the way. Then, defend it." He ordered. I nodded, scrambling to get to my feet. The leader eyed me, his hand twitching as a kunai stabbed into my skirt and pinned it to the earth beneath it.

My heart lurched, "Why don't you be a good little girl and watch while I destroy your teammate." He did a series of hand signs and flames bellowed toward us. My stomach nearly bottomed out until Sasuke scooped me up and just barely dodged the flames. He crouched by me, placing me on the ground next to the cart.

My heart still hammered in my chest, it's panicky thrumming pulsing through my chest, "Protect it." I nodded wildly gasping in a breath and pushing myself to my feet. I wheeled the cart out of the way of all of the fighting; it had much more heft than I thought it would have. Naruto would have to be very stout to continuously pull it for an extended period of time.

I leaned into the cart, a good ten meters from the fighting and out of breath. I glanced at Naruto, fighting nearby. He took on all of the rogues that Sasuke had ditched all on his own. The only thing that crept into my mind was how useless I was. Yes, I stood here protecting the cart, but what use was I really? Naruto was fighting nine bandits completely on his own. His shadow clones would go two on one, and when one was taken out, he would create two more. It was wonderful thinking. Sure, he got knocked around quite a bit, but Naruto was always resilient.

The more I watched them fight, the more hopeless I felt. Sasuke saved me moments earlier. The first time, I barely saved myself. Deep down, I knew I shouldn't have said yes. Naruto shouldn't have picked me, and I'm sure he'd realized by now. I was surprised he didn't just send me back and pull Shikamaru out of reserve. I was probably the worst choice of the three, no matter who they were. No—I was sure that I was the worst.

My thoughts were interrupted by my senses humming in alert. One of the bandits charged me from behind, and I barely spun around in time. He threw a spiky knuckled fist; I ducked, some of the spikes cutting a strand or two of hair. His foot swung around in a sweep kick. I dodged his kick, kicking him in the sternum to force him away from me. I was never very good at close range. I learned that when I sparred with my teammates—both of which specialized in it.

He punched at me again; I dodged his arm, shoving it down. I swung my leg around and kicked him across the face. He let out a grunt of brief pain before starting to recover. When he did, I was toast, so I kicked him away from me again and kicked him across the face as he was stumbling. He fell to the ground and rolled toward Naruto. One of his shadow clones flashed me a smile and a thumbs up before dragging him into the brawl with his allies.

A light smile ghosted across my lips as I tried to hush my pounding pulse. I knew I couldn't let down my guard. This time, I made sure I expanded my senses a little and paid attention so no one could sneak up on me again. After making sure all of the rogue shinobi were being handled my Naruto, my attention turned to my brother. His movements were so precise, so coordinated. It was like watching a beautiful dance that he'd been rehearsing for years. Naruto's movements were a little more wild, more hyperactive with no real sense to them. Sasuke's were smooth and defined, subtle sophistication in them that you don't see in most shinobi. I would never be like that.

I let out a rattling sigh. There was no use in comparing myself to my brothers. It would only completely ruin any positive outlook or hope for the future that I might have wished for.

The leader barked out a curse under his breath after another failed attack on Sasuke, "These brats are getting annoying; Let's go. S'not worth it!" The leader ordered. He slammed something against the ground and it exploded. A huge, gagging cloud of smoke engulfed us all.

I could see anything, but I felt my way to the cart anyway and placed my had on it. An, "Oof," from Naruto reached me as well as the poof from the disappearing of his shadow clones. As the smoke started to clear, I could no longer sense the bandits around us. They were fleeing into the forest.

"Haha! Yeah! You better run with your tail between your legs!" Naruto gloated after them, puffing his chest out pompously. Of course, like Sasuke, he had a reason to be proud. Maybe a little less hubris would be better, but he'd earned it. He fended off ten rogues with mere shadow clones. It was actually quite impressive.

Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't think so, "Don't be so cock, you moron." Naruto glared at him, "Next time, defeat them. Don't play with them."

"What about you!?" Naruto barked. Here came the bickering, "You spent most of your time fighting their leader. I didn't see you defeating him."

"He was in another league. Those rogues were easy," Sasuke sneered, "Neither of you could've handled the leader. He would've ripped you to shreds." His eyes were on me as he said this. I adverted my eyes, not wanting to meet his onyx orbs with mine.

"Hey! I could've handled him!" Naruto argued, "Riyame could've too if he hadn't caught her off guard." I suppressed the sort of depressed that smile that lifted up the corners of my mouth. He was talking me up and I didn't even deserve it.

"Ha! Yeah, sure..." Sasuke grumbled sarcastically. There it was again. That condescending sarcasm that gripped his words so often now. A harsh pang fluttered through my heart again.

"Why are you suck a jerk!?" Naruto yelled.

"Why are you such an idiot?" Sasuke growled.

"Alright, Uchiha, let's go. You and me..." The blonde boy put his fists up. My eyes lifted off the ground as I stared between them in utter disbelief. Bickering was one thing, but they were prepared to duke it out right here.

"Oh please. You couldn't take me." My brother challenged. I opened my mouth to speak. To say anything to stop this, but no sound came out.

"Wanna bet!?" Naruto charged at him, his fist reared. Sasuke only smirked at him and got ready for the fight. I had to do something, anything. I let my legs carry me, my pulse pounding in my ears as I blocked Naruto's punch with my shoulder. It hurt quite a bit, sending a dull pain radiating down my arm. That was going to bruise, Naruto wasn't messing around. He was actually attacking him.

"Enough!" I scolded. Frustration began to settle in. Sasuke was right the first time he directly insulted me. All I was good for was running and hiding. Now I could add human shield to that list.

"Whatever," Sasuke said, "She's right, we don't have time for this. We need to finish this mission." I looked to Sasuke, severely shocked my his words. I was right?

"We need to finish this mission..." Naruto mocked rudely. I looked back to the blonde boy scowling after my brother. I opened my mouth to try to defuse his anger, but he stormed over to the cart and began to pull it again. I let out a sigh as Sasuke took his place in front, taking my place beside Naruto.

We walked in awkward silence and continued in that eerie quiet until nightfall. By then, we were about a third of the way through Fire country and well on our way to the Village hidden in the shadows. Yes, we were making decent time, but being targeted by the bandits slowed us down tremendously.

Eventually, we thought it best to find a place to camp for the night. We needed our rest, and we were all exhausted from today's friction. Our camp fire stayed small, and our smoke low with branches that didn't put off much of it. Sasuke poked it with a long, narrow stick, assuring that it would continue to burn despite its low intensity. I warmed my hands near it occasionally, if anything, to give me something to do. Naruto leaned against the cart, so it was secured, and Sasuke sat on a higher rock as a look out. I had nothing of too much importance on my to do list, just listening to the sound of the peaceful forest around us.

Naruto was the first to break our silence, "So...Riyame..." At least he was making a solid attempt to make conversation. I glanced his way as I hugged my knees into my chest. "What sort of jutsu can you use?"

My cheeks tingled, that was a question that I hadn't been expecting. I didn't know how else to answer, "A few, I guess..."

I graduated early simply due to my advanced level. Not anything special. I didn't know super powerful jutsu. I didn't really have spectacular fighting abilities. My genjutsu was half decent. I was just...intelligent? No. That wouldn't be enough to advance me. It didn't advance Sasuke, so there would be no reason for it to push me ahead. I honestly had no clue why I was allowed to graduate a year early. Maybe they pity passed me to get me out of their classes. I wouldn't blame them.

"Like what?" He seemed a little too curious. He had always seemed to be one of those that had an inane interest in all things shinobi, so his interest didn't shock me. Maybe it was the phrasing of his question?

"Basics, like the substitution I guess." Going into detail on myself wasn't something that I made a habit of, so I didn't exactly keep track of what I'd learned. They aren't usually needed unless we're in a battle-worthy situation.

"Oh...Is that all?" Disbelief and a hint of disappointment colored his tone. A soft smile tugged on the corners of my lips. I could do a few fire style techniques, but part of me doubted that he would believe me. I wouldn't be able to handle it if he did, and either scoffed or marveled. So, I just nodded.

"It's okay. Even if it is true. You'll become great too. Just like me. I'm becoming Hokage, and I think—if you really wanted to—you could give me a run for the title, believe it." He gave me a cheeky smile that warmed cheeks and filled my stomach with butterflies.

The conversation seemed to die after that. That's all there seemed to be between us. Awkward conversations. If if didn't end it blushing, it was definitely nothing short of uncomfortable.

The night began to descend into the later hours and I struggled away from the grip that sleep was starting to impress on me. My heavy lids began to droop drowsily. I knew that if I slept, Naruto or Sasuke wouldn't get very much of it. The guilt from falling asleep on them would be horrible, but my mind did everything it could to diffuse the thoughts.

It tried to talk me into closing my eyes, just for a little while. They'll wake you up if you need to take over. But what if... My eyelids got the best of me and closed against my will.


	3. 003: Disappearing Trick

When my eyes opened, I was lying on my side. My left arm was stiff from the most likely single position all night long. The sun barely peeked over the horizon, which told me that it was early. I pushed myself up slowly, glancing from the softly smoldering embers in the camp fire to Naruto's sleeping—and slightly snoring—form leaning against the cart. His chest rose and fell evenly with each breath. I wished I could sleep so peacefully. A gentle smile tugged on my lips as my eyes trailed around our makeshift campsite.

Sasuke was still perched on the rock where he kept guard last night. His eyes weren't visible. Part of me was relieved. I didn't feel like looking into them and have that creeping intimidation shoot down my spine. I knew he wasn't asleep. If he wasn't asleep, that meant that he was listening. When his eyes popped open, my heart lurched in my chest. His onyx eyes snapped to me, and I half-jumped. Hopefully, he didn't notice.

"Morning...?" I muttered meekly. Even I could hear the nerves in my voice. He didn't answer me verbally, only nodded his head. My teeth found my lip and I shifted awkwardly. This was the only alone time we had together since we met again a few weeks ago. The first in seven years! An uncomfortable tension began to seep into the air that made me swallow to wet my dry throat.

We sat in silence for a while. I didn't want to break it. With my luck, I would embarrass myself. Besides, I didn't know what to say to start a conversation. So I settled with dropping my gaze. I could still feel his eyes on my face, and the tingle that rose to my cheeks couldn't be squelched.

It was a good thing he broke that silence because I wasn't going to, "I keep trying to figure it out, but I can't wrap my mind around it." I glanced at him in acknowledgement, not wanting to speak. I had the feeling that this was going to be a difficult and painful conversation, "How did you even survive?"

A pang stabbed into my chest, "I don't know." I muttered, my voice low and dull, "I was there-" I shook the scenes of my nightmares out of my head, "-and he could have killed me if he wanted to, but he didn't. He just...let me watch it all..." I cringed as the memories tried flooding into my mind and did my best to put back up my protective wall.

"What did he tell you?" I avoided his gaze.

"The same thing that he told you," I didn't go into extra detail. There was no need reliving it.

"And yet," He continued, "you don't hate him..."

"No." I'm sure that he was just as disappointed as Itachi, "He scares me..." I admitted in a dull whisper, "to death..."

My eyes caught his, and his expression caught me off guard. I was expecting apathy and disgust, not disappointment and sympathy. That did send a surge of relief through me. He wasn't completely stone cold yet. Just this thought filled me with quiet hope.

"I could have guessed as much." Silence enveloped us again. Naruto's snoring began to quieten until it stopped all together, though he didn't wake until an hour later.

"Oh, hey Riyame." He yawned, "Didn't know you were up already. You seemed really tired last night." Guilt dropped into my stomach like a hot coal.

"Yeah...sorry about that..." I muttered.

"We need to get going." Sasuke jumped from the rock and took his position as the leader. Naruto rolled his eyes, mocking him rudely, and grabbed the cart. I completely extinguished the fire and took my place in formation.

We must have walked for hours. Despite the decent sleep the night before, I was still exhausted. One night of sleep usually wasn't enough. But, if I read the map correctly, we were about halfway there. That was a plus, and we were making remarkable time—even despite our little skirmish with the random bandits. It was almost suspicious how great we were doing on time. With that little altercation, we should have been set back quite a bit. Maybe it was just the fact that we got a somewhat early start this morning, but my gut wanted to tell me otherwise.

The forest was quiet, but it was slowly waking up. That in it of itself was odd. It was a few hours past dawn, so the forest should have been wide awake by now. At the very least it wasn't the dead silence like before, but my senses wanted to stay on red alert.

I always seemed to know when something was going to happen—bad or not. There was a feeling of anticipation that would build until whatever it was would arrive. If it was good, an eager feeling would begin to form. Like a sort of elated high. Those were easy to ignore, they just tended to put me in a slightly better mood. But if it was bad, a feeling of unease would leak into the pits of my stomach. My mind would almost instantly brace itself for what was to come. Sometimes, I didn't know how to label certain feelings that I'd get, but I knew what this one was.

My nerves weren't jittery like yesterday, but I got a sense of impending trouble out of it. Something bad was going to happen.

On the borders of my senses, I could feel things skirt by. Not animals, no, they were much too big for that. They were human, and they weren't exactly allies. They would never completely enter the borders of my sensory, so I had a feeling that they were testing their limits. My teeth worried my bottom lip. They were playing with us.

There was only a brief second's warning when all of the sounds of the forest silenced. I froze, a gasp leaping from my lips. Both of pairs of eyes, onyx and blue, were on me, but it was too late. I heard a small crack and poof and the boys disappeared in a cloud of smoke. The smoke burned when I breathed it in, and I nearly choked on it.

"Guys?" He coughed. Naruto's voice wasn't too far away. If I was careful, I could try to use my sensory to find him.

"Both of you stay where you are." Sasuke ordered. He was the best candidate for the leader, so I listened.

Just as I'd made the decision to listen, my stomach dropped to my feet. A hand clamped over my mouth. A scream caught in my throat as his lips were at my ear, "Shh..." He whispered.

"We need to get into formation." Sasuke coughed. I wanted to warn them somehow.

"Don't speak, cry, or whine. If you do, your friends are dead. Got it?" I didn't respond for the fear that my heart was going to explode from my chest. Warning them was now out of the question. My eyes burned, but I didn't dare close them.

"Naruto, Riyame, Follow the sound of my voice."

"Got it." Naruto muttered.

"Respond." It was barely a whisper, but clearly an order. His hand slipped from my mouth.

"I'm here," Hopefully he got the message.

With his hand firmly in place over my mouth, we melted into the forest. Even once we were out of the smoke, we were no longer in a part of the forest I recognized. We were off the beaten path, but my senses were dull. I could barely sense the man dragging me into the unknown. My lungs were still scratchy, and my head was floating. There must have been something that dulled your senses, which meant that they were expecting one of us to be affected. Chances were, they didn't think it was me. Not with the way I'd reacted.

By the time I was paying attention to the forest, I was lost. That was smart. Zone out instead of remembering your way back...Way to go Riyame.

When we stopped, I took in my surroundings. In front of us was a run down shack. The decaying, uneven boards were cracking and splintering. The door could barely even be called that. A feeling seeped into the pits of my stomach that sent my pulse through the roof. And as one of his large hands threw open the door, I knew that I didn't want to be here.

He threw me in front of him. My knees scraped against the ground, "Get up girl." He barked irritably. I shook off the stinging in my knees and tried to force my wobbly legs to work for me properly.

"While you're here, you better keep your mouth shut or your friends are going to pay for it." He barked. My stomach dropped to my feet, and I promised myself at that moment that no matter what was said to me, I wouldn't open my mouth.

I could barely see a few feet at a time. I kept my hand on the rough wall to my right, gripping it for support each time he shoved me forward. The narrow passage way was cold and musty, the dirt under my feet uneven and harsh. Every step I took deeper into this tunnel made my skin crawl with unease. Alarms sounded in my head, but I couldn't turn and run from this. Even if I could get out, It wouldn't be long before they would catch me. Without my senses, I would be as vulnerable as a child. My movements would be reckless and sloppy. Every wrong twig broken would be a mistake, and I could only hope to find my way back to the path. That was if I was lucky. If I wasn't, I would get both myself and my team hurt. I could only hope that they would have the sense to carry on with out me.

The hall way wasn't very lengthy, only made longer by the dark and my attempt at precise footsteps. I knew it had ended when I came face-to-face with another door. It wasn't nearly as abused as the first one, but the wear from continuous use was obvious. I understood it more when he shoved me aside so that he could kick open the door. My back and elbows were sure to sport several new scrapes if they didn't already.

"I took one of 'em hostage. You happy now." I was practically thrown to the ground. I fell to my stomach with an "oof" and tried to regain the breath my ungraceful landing took from me.

The ground underneath me was still the same soil as the passage, and the walls were the same rough stone. Unlike the tunnel, this rather large, circular cavern was well lit with torches. A stocky man stood a few meters in front of me. Even watching his back sent a shiver down my spine. He was the enemy, that, I knew for certain.

"I told you to take one of them in the night." His voice was pleasant, but his growl sharpened it. "Are you incompetent or just stupid?"

"They were on guard," The harsh man behind me grumbled, "It was the one with the red eyes." I glanced back at him. Sasuke? "I'm not stickin' my neck out for you."

The man turned to face him. Even I cringed away. His eyes were a startling burgundy that flickered menacingly in the fire-light. The glare that perforated my captor reminded me of my oldest brother. I cringed away from those memories and forced them back behind the protective wall where they belonged.

The young man wasn't as old as I thought he would be. He might have been sixteen or seventeen, and the way the fire reflected off his coal colored hair gave him a more sinister look.

"I own you." He barked, "Or have you and your little band of dim-witted miscreants forgotten that?" As I adjusted myself, his eyes fell on me. His glare seemed to soften, "And who's this?" The harsh growl that he'd used with the bandit disappeared.

I sat there, not daring to move, speak or even visibly breathe. A small smile spread across his lips that curled like a smirk, "A woman of few words I see...Well, I apologize if that barbarian was too rough." His eyes held mine as he barked out an order, "Leave us." My senses had returned enough to know that we were now alone.

Now that we were alone, my nerves were stabbing into my stomach viciously. He approached slowly, his eyes taking me in and measuring me. I knew what he was wondering. How was someone like me a ninja? Was I even old enough? They were common questions that popped out of others' mouths. I wouldn't blame them. Maybe if I wasn't me, I would think the same.

His proximity as he knelt in front of me made me uncomfortable, "You're smaller than I was expecting. The way they presented the report led me to believe that your little squad was untouchable." The corners of my mouth pulled down, "You're much younger than I was expecting..."

"I graduated early." It was low, barely audible. My teeth found my bottom lip. My heart skipped a beat, and I found myself watching for my kidnapper to burst into the room and tell me my fears.

"She speaks!" A smirky smile lifted his face, "You aren't very loud...You're like a mouse, tiny in both size and stature." He laughed—a pleasantly eerie sound. His eyes scanned me again, and I tried to squelch the tingling in my cheeks, "Tell me, do you think your teammates would value your life over a cart?" My lips parted to spit out the sadly automatic response, but I stopped myself. Normally I would answer with a No, but I wasn't with my team. I was with two completely different people. Naruto would care, and though I couldn't ensure that Sasuke wouldn't kick me to the curb, I know he wouldn't let him.

"Nothing...? Surely they care about you." He said. A strange look crossed his face, "I'll tell you a secret." His voice dropped, and the alarms blared in my head again. "That little bundle of goodies that your beloved Hokage has you carting around disguises an interesting message to allies. Do you want to know what it is?"

Every cell screamed at me, "She has her reasons for not telling us." I muttered stiffly.

"I doubt that..." He leaned so close to me that my stomach flipped and his breath was on my earlobe, "War plans." My heart nearly stuttered to a stop as he stood, "Yes, that's right...Your precious Hokage is sitting in her cozy little office while she uses you and your teammates as pack mules to do her dirty work." I shook my head.

"She isn't-"

"That's how the adult world is, sweetheart. Even your Hokage isn't perfect." He was suddenly in front of me again. He smiled gently, his index finger brushing my forehead.

The reaction was almost instantaneous. My vision slurred, and the world around me swayed. My head began to float and I met the ground before my world faded into darkness.

"Naruto, Riyame, follow the sound of my voice." Sasuke ordered. He didn't trust the smoke or what was in it. This was an ambush, and they needed to be in a formation where they could watch each others' backs.

"Got it," Naruto answered almost right away.

"I'm here." Her answer was hesitant and odd. She lagged behind, her head in the clouds and in her thoughts. He couldn't be sure that she wasn't already compromised.

Someone nearly stumbled into him, 'Whoa, sorry. I can't see anything in this." Naruto was right beside him and he could barely see his face.

"Riyame..." Sasuke said cautiously. When she didn't respond, he knew she was gone. And as the smoke dissipated, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Riyame?" Naruto called out.

"She's gone..." He said.


	4. 004: Ultimatum

"I'm not going to give up on her." He snapped, his blue eyes sending daggers at Sasuke, "I refuse, but it looks like you already did."

An angry wave of protectiveness lashed at him, "I'm trying to think, and I'm sick of you running around like an idiot.

"Gah! Don't you care that Riyame's gone!?" He growled.

"Shut up, and grab the cart." Sasuke barked back. He wasn't going to answer his question. Even if he wanted to, he wouldn't exactly know what to say.

"Whatever," Naruto mocked the phrase used by the raven haired boy so often.

They walked for at least ten minutes—Naruto and the remaining two clones pulling the cart—before they finally made their way out of the fog. The relief of his struggling brain was instantaneous. It was like the headache dissipated, leaving him room to work through his de-fogging brain. Even Naruto gasped in surprise, a horde of twenty clones popping up around him.

"What the-" He muttered all of them disappeared again.

"I knew it." It clicked so suddenly Sasuke almost felt stupid.

"Knew what...?" He grumbled.

"You didn't notice?"

"what-"

"The smog blocked our chakra reserves, our minds—our abilities to think straight," He rambled. Naruto didn't glare at him. His face actually turned to him in curiosity.

"So that smoke stopped me from making clones?"

"Yes."

"What the heck was that stuff?" He muttered, throwing a glance behind them.

"I don't know..." Sasuke answered, "but we need to keep going-"

"We can't leave her! They'll kill her when they get the chance; you've got to know that-" He argued.

"Shut up and listen to me, idiot." Naruto glared at him but stayed silent, "We need to find a safe place to hide the cart and camp for the night." Curiosity zinged in his eyes again, "They didn't go through the effort of taking one of us for no reason. They aren't planning on killing her any time soon. If anything, they're going to keep her for ransom."

"You think they believe we'll hand over the cart?" His eyes dropped to the ground full of guilt.

"Yeah," Sasuke's eyes dropped too. Did he feel guilty too?

They walked for several hours before they came across a niche near a lake and waterfall. The humidity of the water helped clear his head even more, allowing his brain to function properly. It felt good.

When they settled down, "We should be able to talk and rest in here without being detected. We just can't have very much of a fire tonight."

Naruto didn't say a word. In fact, he had been quiet the entirety of the walk, which was a feat that he didn't accomplish very often. It was almost concerning. Naruto usually never shut up. Sasuke didn't complain. He wanted to enjoy it while it lasted. Several minutes passed as Sasuke and Naruto covered the cart in the branches of a grouping of bushes. It was so well hidden that Sasuke would have to make sure that he remembered where it was. Naruto would most likely forget.

When they reached their small niche—which would have been a tight squeeze with all three of them—they sat side-by-side. It was silent for several more minutes until Naruto broke it.

"We can't," He snapped, "We can't you hear me. We can't let her get hurt over some stupid wooden thing thats just holding stupid crap."

"She's going to get hurt, Naruto. That's a guarantee." Sasuke muttered back.

"And you'll let her get hurt?"

"No-"

"That's bull crap! You don't care-"

He glared down the blonde haired boy, "I've been protecting her this entire time! Don't tell me that I don't care!"

"Whatever..." Naruto grumbled. He angled his entire body away from Sasuke,

"I'll help you Riyame...I promise, believe it..."

The rich sunset's light barely filtered into the tiny room. My body was stiff and the hard ground was extremely uncomfortable. How long had I been out? It must have been a while because the sun was going down. The scrapes on my knees and elbows ached as I sat up. And as my senses began to wake up, I could feel him in the room.

"Good! You're awake," His face harbored a knowing smile, "I can see that you've slept off that smoke. Nifty isn't it, those smoke bombs." I watched him as he leaned against the wall, "It literally disables human senses if you breathe it in for too long. It's the perfect way to take out an enemy without killing them-"

"Or kidnap them..." I blurted out. I made the mistake of looking him in the eye, and my stomach nearly bottomed out, and I flinched. I shouldn't have spoken. What if that man found out...Then my team would be in danger.

"I guess you could put it that way, yes." He allowed. My heart's lurching calmed down a bit. He didn't seem very angry...Just like...My memory was extremely foggy of our first meeting, but at that time, I was under the cloud of that smog.

"I need you to do something for me," He reached out of the room and pulled in a wooden crate. It was plopped down in front of me. That was where I kept my eyes. His eyes reminded me too much of his...I grit my teeth through the tiny shards of memory that leaked around the wall until they faded.

A piece of paper and a pen were placed in front of me, "You are going to write the ransom note."

"What!?" My eyes caught his again, and my air caught in my throat.

"You are going to write the ransom note that will be sent to your friends." He stated nonchalantly, "You will write what I tell you, when I tell you, and how I tell you. If you try any secret messages, I'll make you wish you didn't."

I tried to choke down the lump in my throat, but it wouldn't go down. I gripped the pen, trying to control its shaking. By the time I was done, my neat scrawl was slightly marred, but not enough for my handwriting not to be recognizable. He then took it from me, admired the letter, and smirked down at me.

"You're doing well, sweetheart." He removed the crate the pen skidding into the corner. He didn't seem to notice it, sending a wave of plans through my now clearly thinking brain, "I'll come back when we need you." He disappeared out of the tiny stone room.

I pushed myself to a standing position. My head spun slightly, but otherwise, I was fine. Tired, but fine. My eyes flickered to the pen in the corner, but I couldn't be sure that I wasn't being watched. I looked around, shakily making my way across the room. I paused beneath the window. That pen would be of no use to me unless I had something to write with. My plan was barely formed. So barely formed that I didn't even know what it was.

My eyes turned to the window again. It wasn't covered by glass, only metal

bars that were just out of my reach. It was nearly microscopic in size, so I knew that even without the bars, I wouldn't be able to wriggle through. Not even as small as I was...My hands reached for the bars, barely touching them even when I jumped for it. My teeth found my lip. I no longer had that crate, otherwise I would be able to use that. A sudden idea hit me.I took a deep breath and focused chakra in my hands. I jumped and gripped the ledge of the window and struggled to pull myself up. An inch at a time, I reached toward the bars. One hand at-a-time, I gripped the cool metal. I did my best to make things out in the setting sun. There had to be something to write on...

A large leaf skittered across the ground. It was plenty big enough for the message I needed to write, so I half dove for it. When I pulled it inside, I slid across the wall and snapped up the pen. I sat beneath the window and stared at the leaf in front of me. What was I going to write? Or better yet, how was it going to reach them? I wanted to punch myself. Why hadn't I thought this through a little better. There was only a slim chance that if I let it go in the breeze that it might reach them. Though at this point, my chances were slim no matter what I did.

I wrote the message as neatly as I possibly could. By the time I pulled myself up again, my stomach was flopping in the breeze that ruffled the grass. I closed my eyes and silently prayed that this attempt wasn't completely in vain—though I suspected it was, and I threw it into the wind.

It floated easily, catching on blades of grass here or there, but otherwise unhindered. I tried to keep the dull hope of that leaf reaching the boys from hanging on by more than just a thread. And it worked. Forcing myself not to hold onto that hope was all I could do to keep the memories that I had trapped behind their protective wall.

That was all I needed. Me alone with those memories...

It felt like hours before the young man returned. The sun had moved in position, so I probably assumed correctly.

He started the interrogation right off the bat, "So, what can you tell us about your teammates?" I didn't speak, "Surely you'll help us?" Silence, "What about the boy with the 'red eyes'?" He smirked, "From what I've heard, he looks quite a bit like you." I shrugged. The less I gave him, the better it would be for the boys, "Are you related?" No answer, "First, second, third cousin?" Nothing, "Brother?"

I shifted uncomfortably and kept my eyes away from his, "So brother, eh?"

He paced for a few seconds, "What's your name sweetheart?" Again, I didn't answer. If I told him my name—be it my first and/or last—he would know who my brother was and what the mysterious red eyes were.

When he crouched down in front of me suddenly, I nearly jumped out of my skin. His eyes held mine and I barely fended off the memories that started leaking around the edges. I turned my gaze from him, but his hand kept it in place.

"So what are these red eyes that my spineless little brutes are so scared of?" The dark curiosity that raged in his eyes was hungry. I still didn't answer, "The silent treatment isn't going to work forever. I will make you speak eventually, and it isn't going to be pleasant." He promised, "So why don't you stop being difficult and tell me what I need to know." I finally tore my gaze from his, "Oh no, you are going to look at me." It was like a switch flipped in my brain and my eyes suddenly couldn't escape his no matter how hard I tried.

"Answer my questions." My teeth clamped down on my lip. His softened gaze hardened, chipping at the wall that held back the well that threatened to explode. No matter what he said, I didn't speak. No threat, no dark remark made me open my mouth. The anger that trickled into his eyes was like a knife. It stabbed into me over and over. Every memory of blood splatter punched holes into my walls.

"I can see that you aren't going to answer me now, but I will break you. That I promise." He touched his index finger to my forehead, and I sucked in a surprised gasp.

That inverted world enveloped me, sucked me under like an iron blanket. The air teased my lungs, thickening until the pressure was nearly suffocating. My feet moved without my permission. With every step bodies fell at my feet. My heart lurched in my chest, sending a pounding like a drum through my pulse. The blood that sprayed into the air sent waves of crushing nausea that unhinged my stomach.

Every image repeated in terrifying clarity. They were ghost-like images that just flit around, constantly looped in a bloody circle. The images that filtered cracks began to destroy the wall, hammering away at it until it was just a pile of rubble. Every repressed picture assaulted me, sending me into a morbid world of blood and death. My eyes were plastered open, never closing. Every thing slowly and painfully began to engrave into my mind. Nothing would wake me from this nightmare.

Naruto knew that giving Sasuke the silent treatment was childish, but he didn't care. Sasuke didn't speak to him either, and even if he would have, Naruto would have stuck his nose in the air and ignore him until he helped him come up with a rescue plan. He poked the barely smoldering embers with a stick. His face was grumpy and agitated. His lips formed a grimace. He didn't sleep a wink last night, too busy trying to come up with the plan Sasuke refused to help him with. So far, he had nothing. Nothing he came up with seemed like a good idea.

At first, the thought about sneaking off, tracking her down, and just fighting his way into wherever they were holding her until he was victorious. But there was the problem of tracking her. Naruto wasn't a tracker. That was just the truth. Sasuke might have a chance of doing so, but he wasn't going to let go of his childish pride and ask him for help. It was up to Sasuke to offer it. Tracking her down and fighting his way in was the only thing Naruto had come up with. And no matter how he looked at it, it was filled with risky holes that could get him hurt, or worse.

His blue eyes glanced toward the raven haired boy. Stupid Sasuke...Why couldn't he just go along with something Naruto wanted to do for once. The last time Sasuke had trusted him, the plan went without a hitch. What was so bad about listening to him now!?

"Would you stop glowering at me." Sasuke turned his onyx eyes on him, "Why don't you do something useful and go secure the cart."

Naruto shoved off the ground, tossing his stick into the fire. He stalked off in the direction of the cart irritably—though not because Sasuke told him to, but because he wanted to.

As he approached the grouping of bushes, a large figure appeared out of the treeline. Naruto backed away from the bushes, bracing himself.

"Calm down kid." The leader of the bandits that had kidnapped Riyame stood in front of him.

"Get out of here before I make you, creep." Naruto barked.

"Shut up and listen," His arm moved to reach for something, and Naruto's heart lurched a bit.

"Sasuke!" It was the first time he'd talked to him in several hours, so if

he tried to ignore him, Naruto was going to ring his neck.

"You can't do anything right, can you dunce?" Naruto ignored his comment, knowing it would be only moments until he saw the reason he called for him.

When Sasuke reached his side, his body tensed in readiness just as Naruto's had, "What do you want?"

"Both of you shut your traps," The man said harshly. He pulled out a small piece of rolled up paper out of a worn pouch on his side, "Take it and read it, and I'd suggest you read it carefully because your friend's life depends on it." He tossed it into Naruto's fumbling hands.

Within the blink of an eye he was gone.

Almost instantly, Naruto yanked it open. He recognized the handwriting on the page, but he couldn't remember where.

"I have been taken captive, as you both know. They aren't open for negotiations, so the only way to safely retrieve me is to cooperate in their exchange. You are to meet us at these coordinates..." A pale hand yanked the note from his hands.

"You are to bring the cart to this location exactly. In exchange, I will be handed over to you unharmed. If you try to ignore this offer, my life will be forfeit. If you agree to these conditions, meet us at those coordinates at noon. If you fail to appear, you will be hunted. Plain and simple." Sasuke's glare penetrated the paper in his hands.

"I recognize that handwriting from somewhere..." Naruto muttered aloud.

"It's Riyame's." His fist clenched, crinkling the paper angrily.

"You think they made her write it."

"That's exactly what they did."

A wave of anger rolled over Naruto, "We've gotta meet them." Naruto searched Sasuke's face for doubt, "We have to! If not, they'll kill her."

He paused, but Sasuke didn't speak, "Are you with me?" No answer,

"Sasuke...Answer me!" More silence, "Fine, well I'm going no matter what you say."

He trudged over to the bushes, beginning to uncover the cart. He made sure all of its goods were still intact as he gently eased it out of the branches.

"Stop." Sasuke said.

"I'm going to save Riyame." Naruto said back, "I am. You can twiddle your thumbs, but I'd rather fail this mission than let her get hurt." Naruto began to drag the cart behind him.

"That's what they want, idiot." Sasuke's pale hand stopped the moving of the cart.

"So what if that's what they want!" Naruto turned to face the raven haired boy.

"We're playing into a trap-"

"So what..." Naruto glared Sasuke down, "I'd rather save a friend than deliver this stupid cart."

Sasuke yanked the wagon away from Naruto, "We aren't doing anything without a plan."

"Now you wanna make a plan!? I've been doing that all night." Naruto gripped it and yanked it back.

"Stop being an idiot." Sasuke barked.

"No," Naruto snapped.

"Naruto-"

"I'm done listening to you."

"You'll screw everything up!" Sasuke half shouted.

Naruto let growl of frustration, shoving the cart away and tackling him to the ground. Naruto pinned him to the ground, launching several punches that didn't meet the target. Instead, Sasuke's kicked him off, knocking him into the wooden cart. There was a sharp _POP_ , and Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Now who's the screw up!?" Naruto pointed an finger at him angrily.

"You're the one who attacked me." Sasuke stood, brushed himself off, and sauntered Naruto's way. Naruto took this time to check the cart. There were a few misplaced goods, but other than that...Naruto paused to look at the very center bottom. A small hole revealed the dark—and hollow—inside.

"Hey, I think there's some weird hiding spot in the bottom of this thing."

Sasuke appeared beside him, "Move." Naruto hopped back as his hands felt around the small hole. A few seconds later, Sasuke lifted out a board to reveal a compartment with several rolled up papers and a scroll.

"What the..." Naruto started to reach for one, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Don't touch them."

"Why?"

Sasuke made a hand sign, "Release." A force field began to appear, "I have a feeling that we weren't supposed to know about this."


End file.
